Shaft-bearing.



A. C. E. RATEAU.

SHAFT BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 7. I906.

Patented Jan. 19,1915

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A. G. E. RATBAU.

SHAFT BEARING.

AI PLIGATION FILED DBO. 7, I906.

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Specification of Letters Batent. Patented Jan. 19, 1915..

/ Application filed December 7, 139$. Serial No. 16,725.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUoUsTE GAMELE EDMOND RATEAU, citizen of the Republicoof France, residing at Paris, France, have in: vented a certain new and useful Improvement in Shaft-Bearings, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description. I

This invention relates to shaft bearings, and its object is to provide improved means for preventing the passage of air or gas between a shaft and a bearing therefor, which is interposed between two machine casings into which the shaft extends, and in which different pressures may exist. The passage of air or gas between the shaft and bearing, which it is the object of the present invention to prevent, causes an entrainment by the air or gas of the oil supplied to-the bearing for lubricating purposes. This entrainment not only tends to leave the bearing dry, but causes the oil to be blown into other apparatus where its presence may be objectionable.

In accordance with the present invention, the bearing proper is inclosed within an external housing, which is provided with a channel communicating with both ends of the bearing, affording a bypass for air or gas about the bearing from one machine casing to the other. This bypass practically equalizes the pressures at the opposite ends of the bearing; and for the flow of air and gas resulting from such slight difierence in pressure as may result, the bypass will offer such a low resistance in comparison with the resistance to the flow between the shaft and bearing, that the oil will not be forced longitudinally along the shaft ofthe bearing to an appreciable extent. I also provide an oil retaining means, such as a packing ring, at the ends of the bearing.

My invention will be applicable to centrifugal compressors and similar fluid pressure apparatus.

My invention will be described more particularly by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the intermediate bearing shown in Fig. 2, half of the section being taken on a plane through one of the wells in which the lubricating rings ride, and the other half of the section being taken on a plane midway between two such wells; and Fig. 2 is a 1011'- gitudinal sectional View of the bearing shown in Fig. 1'. A

'In the drawings, Ihave illustrated the application of my invention to an intermediate bearing, located on a portion of a shaft which extends between two machine casings, whose walls are shown at e and e'-. I provide a supplementary passage or bypass f in the housing 0, extending from one wall to the other, the housing being airtight, so that this bypass has no communication with the exterior. The shaft is shown as made in-two sections a, a coupled atc -Any air which goes from one side to the other through the passages f in the walls 6, c finds a passage through the bypass f of very slight resistance, so that it takes the bypass, instead of forcing its way between the shaft and the bearing, as would otherwise be the case. The oil, therefore, which is supplied to the bearings by the rings r dipping in the reservoir g, is not entrained by the air and the latter cannot escape from the housing. In the drawings, two intermediate bearings proper are shown, surrounded by an annular housing 0, extending from wall 6 to wall e? andthe entire upper portion of the space between the bearing and the housing constitutes the bypass. The lower portion of this space is shown as inclosed to form a reservoir for water to cool the bearings when excessive speeds are employed.

It will be understood that any desired Preferably washersor bushings h, h are provided at the ends of the ournals, encircling the shaft as closely as may be, to give additional protection against -passage of air to or from the'bearings.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new-and desire, to secure'by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with two machine casings, of a shaft extending through both casings, an intermediate bearing for said shaft, a fluid-tight housing extendin between said casings and inclosing said earing,-the inside of said housing forming a by-pass for fluid from one casing to the other in shunt of said bearing.

2. The combination with two machine shaft, an air-tight housing extending hetween said casings and inc-losing saidi hearing, the inside of said housing forming a bypass for fluioi from one casing to the other 55 in shunt of said hearing, and pachngs for the shaft at the ends of the bearing. 4 3. The combination with two machine casings andl a shaft for the machine, of a hearing for saioi shaft, an air-tight housing 140, for said hearing having an air channel or bypass counicating with the shaft at a aae aaa both ends of the bearing, andl washers at the ends of the hearing between the bearing surface and the point of communication of said air channel with the shaft.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 23rd day of November, A. D, 1906.

AUGUSTE GAMJlLLE EDMOND RATEAU.

Witnesses:

R. J. A. CHALEIL, H. C. Coxn. 

